1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to plastic and reconstructive surgery, and more particularly, pertains to a tissue expander system for transmitting fluid to a tissue expander for expanding tissue typically adjacent to a reconstructive site where extra tissue is required for repair. An example is growing tissue around and about scar tissue where the scar tissue is subsequently removed, and the grown tissue is stretched and pulled over the previous scar tissue area.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art tissue expanders include a balloon-type reservoir with tubing and injection ports. The prior art tissue expanders are not one continuous molded piece, and have been glued together whereby the glue subsequently breaks at a seam, thereby leaking fluid out of the tissue expander. Also, the prior art tissue expanders are similar to big balloons, which upon insertion, wrinkle and are also extremely hard to slip under the skin. Also, the prior art devices are not directional in expansion, but expanded out in a balloon type fashion with a fat center and narrow on the sides.
A representative prior art patent in U.S. Pat. No. 4,217,889 entitled "Flap Development Device and Method or Progressively Increasing Skin Area", issued Aug. 19, 1980, to Radovan et al. Another representative patent is U.S. Pat. No. 4,157,085 entitled "Surgically Implantable Tissue Expanding Device and the Method of its Use", issued on June 5, 1979, to Austad. A representative patent of a prior art injection port is U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,040, entitled "Resealable Puncture Housing for Surgical Implantation", issued Feb. 26, 1980, to Schulte. The above three patents are representative of the state of the prior art devices.
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a one piece molded tissue expander for a tissue expander system, the tissue expander expanding along a directional axis. An injection port includes a metal plate for needle insertion which limits pentration. The metal plate also locates the injection port during X-ray procedure. The injection port also includes a reinforced self-sealing dome for the insertion of a needle.